"On my part, I remain committed to the process of dialogue. It is my firm belief that dialogue and a willingness to look with honesty and clarity at the reality of Tibet can lead us to a viable solution."

Beijing, August 8 -- Three Tibet supporters staged a symbolic protest
near the entrance to the Olympic park and the Bird's Nest stadium in
Beijing today, one hour before the Olympic opening ceremony began.
The three displayed Tibetan national flags. Chinese security tackled
them 40 seconds after the protest began. Jonathan Stribling-Uss, 27,
and Kalaya'an Mendoza, 29, Americans, and Cesar Pablo Maxit, 32, an
Argentine-American, were immediately and forcibly detained.

"These activists have delivered a message of solidarity with the
Tibetan people, highlighting the grave situation in Tibet just
moments before the Beijing Olympics began," said Lhadon Tethong,
Executive Director of Students for a Free Tibet. "The Chinese
government wants the world to be dazzled and distracted by the
grandeur of the opening ceremony, but its true face can be seen in
its ruthless and intensifying repression of the Tibetan people."

Tibetan imagery is expected to be a feature of the Chinese
government's Olympic propaganda message at tonight's opening
ceremony. Tibet support organizations around the globe have planned
demonstrations at Chinese embassies and consulates today to highlight
the Chinese government's attempt to use the Olympics to legitimize
its rule in Tibet and call on the Chinese leadership to meaningfully
address the issue of Tibet. Tibet groups are planning ongoing
protests and events for the duration of the Beijing Games, from
Santiago to Montevideo, New York to Toronto, London to Warsaw, Delhi
to Brisbane, and many more.

Earlier this week, four members of Students for a Free Tibet hung two
banners from lampposts outside the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium. The
two Americans and two Britons were detained after unfurling a banner
reading "One World, One Dream: Free Tibet" and another reading "Tibet
Will Be Free" in English and "Free Tibet" in Chinese. They were
swiftly deported and arrived in their home countries on August 7th.

Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) is a network of young people and
activists campaigning for Tibetan independence, with 700 chapters in
more than thirty countries worldwide. SFT's international
headquarters are in New York, with offices in Toronto, London, and
Dharamsala, India.